I’m a guerilla gardener. I see patches of dirt and I make them flower. It started with an infertile hedge six feet long, a half a foot wide outside the carport of my tiny apartment. The landlord had planted daisies there and they were totally dying. I got sick of the aphids that were attracted to them and decided to do something about it. I started a flower war. I pulled those flowers out of the dirt and started from scratch. My gun was a hose. Up until this point, it’s been a successful experiment that involved a couple of packs of seeds and ended with a ten foot sunflower and a whole bunch of wildflowers. Yes, this nastiness:
Has become a flowering mess of zinnias,
sunflowers,
and this random wildflower my neighbor calls a weed.
The point is, what was brown is now green and I feel a lot happier because of it.
For all you apartment dwellers that think it’s impossible to have something grow outside your door, please stop talking. There are answers for you.
1) Start with a pot.
2) Get some soil.
3) Get a packet of seeds.
4) Place the dirt in your pot, dig some holes (about 2 inches deep), and start dropping seeds.
5) Water it everyday till you see something grow.
This is a pot outside my door with oregeno, chives, rosemary, and sage (I cook with these herbs everyday).
This pot has a jasmine bush that I’m training to travel up the ugly bars in front of my window. (Yes as it grows, I twist the plants up the bars…it’s like twisting your hair around your finger).
This is fun. I’m not an expert, but I can google things and suddenly become one.
For example, this weekend, I learned that my sunflowers were drooping a little too much. They should always point towards the sun. And, if they’re not, it means their veins aren’t receiving enough water. So, I got some garden tape, a stake, and trained those sunflowers’ veins to grow upward. Now, they seem fine.
Patience is key in all of this. Something may not grow for a while. But, every weekend, you’ll find something new and learn something strange. Poet Ogden Nash said (and I found this on a bag of moss I bought recently): “My garden will not make me famous. I’m a horticultural ignoramus.” So…why not embrace that? Make mistakes. Learn from them.
I’m learning everyday and I might as well share it with you.
If you have a question, ask me and I’ll answer with the help of some farmers I know.
Author: Alessandra Rizzotti
Comments
Go Alessandra! The world needs more gardeners, especially urban ones. It's so rewarding to grow your own food, herbs and flowers. I love it when I see other people "spreading the word".
I just started growing some tomatoes and strawberries. It definitely makes me more aware of how to use ingredients when I cook.
Thanks so much for tweeting Margie. You rock!
Alessandra! This is such a great post. I love the name "Guerrilla Garnder!" So cute and clever.
Thanks lady!